


A Private Transition

by LitLady67, MakzwehlEdison



Series: The Hiraeth Chronicles [4]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Absent Parents, Con Artists, Divination, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Dungeons & Dragons References, Fortune Telling, Gen, Orphans, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness, Siblings, Tieflings, Tricksters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 03:16:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20614070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LitLady67/pseuds/LitLady67, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakzwehlEdison/pseuds/MakzwehlEdison
Summary: Temerity Hiraeth grew up swindling drunkards out of their money; not because she liked it (she did), but because her brother couldn't have all the fun taking care of them. As we meet the siblings later in life (Petrichor and Pyra have now renamed themselves, as is common among tieflings), this ficlet explores a fleeting moment in the life of Temerity, AKA 'Madam Mystery.'





	A Private Transition

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! Today's little slice of the Hiraeth life was written by my lovely wife! LitLady67 makes her first (but nowhere near last) contribution to The Hiraeth Chronicles.
> 
> Some notes: This scene takes place in the Hiraeth sister's late teens. Pyra and Petrichor have rebranded themselves "Temerity" and "Insidious" due to the tiefling custom of choosing a 'virtue name' as they come into their own.
> 
> Thank you so much for your continued support. Please leave a kudos or a comment. It really helps new people find our story.

It was a hot day in Waterdeep. A very hot day, and Madam Mystery was glad she had opted to spend a few extra shards on the good makeup instead of the cheap, melty kind. Not that you could see any of it from under her hood right now, but still. Durnan always said you had to spend money to make money, and this was a good investment, as far as she was concerned.

Opening the door to her and her brother’s apartment, she was finally able to be rid of the cursed hood and cloak and soak in the relatively cool air, though she did make a point to hang it nicely from the hook near the door. Dear Insidious was so picky about it lying crumpled on the floor… 

Speaking of the tiefling, Mystery surveyed the darkened apartment looking for any sign of life. Dishes washed, hat hung by the front door, whip coiled neatly on the table, and the first bedroom door shut. All signs pointed to a sleeping brother. Still… he liked to know she was home safe. Thwacking her tail against his closed door, she shouted, “Ins-idiot, no one murdered me today!” 

Nothing for a beat, then, muffled, “Yet.” 

She laughed and swept, full skirts and tinkling bells in her hair, into her room. Glancing upwards and seeing nothing, she instead surveyed her domain. Smallish bed shoved in a corner to make room for the large stacks of books lining the wall, two rough cases for makeup and jewelry, and finally a mirror and washstand. Perfect. She carefully peeled off the ornately embroidered gown, hung it from another set of hooks, and began the laborious process of removing chains and ornamentation from her horns and fingers. 

A look in the mirror revealed that the good makeup had indeed held up to the heat, with dark lined eyes and perfectly drawn arcane symbols giving her a hint of the “other”. A good scrub revealed that good makeup was a pain to remove, but given that sales were up since she’d acquired it, it was probably a worthy sacrifice of time. 

The money was nice, but slipping into a simple summer dress and brushing out her hair was the best part of each day, as far as she was concerned. Today, though, there was another step to be taken before she could truly relax. She sat on her bed and grabbed her makeup case before turning an appraising eye on the large and angry looking bruises on her left arm. Though customers weren’t always violent and rude, there were usually a few who refused to believe that she worked for dragons not “favors” and “good times”, and sometimes her insistence on the money set some of them off. At least he’d gone for her arm and not her hair like the last one. With her makeup kit, a bruise was a lot easier to hide from Sid than a bald spot. Though, she had maneuvered her way around that quite nicely with a scarf, if she did say so herself.

Still, no need to worry him. And no need for a bounty to mysteriously appear for something most of the watch wouldn’t even consider a crime. 

Snagging a book from the top of the stack, she headed from the comfort of her room. Makeup removed, dress donned, and bruises covered, Temerity Hiraeth emerged.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it for this week, people! Please join us next Thursday for another Hiraeth adventure!


End file.
